Sapa Makes Lighter Brake Line from Aluminum Alloy

Norwegian firm Sapa AS has made a far lighter automotive brake line using a high-strength aluminum alloy. The company will officially debut its new system at IZB, the international supplier fair  which is scheduled to be held in Wolfsburg, Germany later this month.

Jens Sandahl Sørensen, Sapa’s innovation and technology manager said that the entire automotive industry is engaged in coming up with techniques and materials to reduce the weight of cars and thus lower emissions. As part of this drive, Sapa too is involved in using aluminum to make vehicles that are lighter, safer and more efficient. The use of an aluminum brake line instead of a steel one can reduce the component’s weight by 50 per cent.

Generally, in consumer vehicles, the length of the brake line ranges from 36 inches to 42 inches. SAPA used a new high-strength alloy and a proprietary production process to improve the mechanical properties of the system. The new brake line system has been good enough to pass highly demanding tests for OEM specifications, comprising tests for leak resistance, vibration resistance, torque, burst, coating adhesion, and corrosion resistance.

Business development manager Klaus J. Sandfeld said that aluminum offers great flexibility both when it comes to workability and design, thus opening up the potential for new developments. Automotive market is one of Sapa’s main markets, and he said that the company will continue to dedicate more research and development to helping car manufacturers to develop lighter and safer cars.

Sapa AS, which is based in Oslo, is a joint venture between Orkla Group and Norsk Hydro, with both companies having an equal share in Sapa. Sapa is the largest aluminum extrusion-based solutions company in the world, with a manufacturing footprint of one hundred factories spread across a dozen countries, and has almost 23,000 employees.